FRESNO, Calif. – A wrestling move commonly referred to as a “butt drag,” in which one wrestler grabs the butt of his opponent and sticks his finger in his anus, has led to one high school student being expelled and facing sexual assault charges. Preston Hill, who performed the move in question, did so during a match at a high school in the Fresno, Calif., suburb of Clovis. Hill’s coaches had taught him the move, which is legal in wrestling and has been used for decades.
Hill has been charged with sexual assault on a teammate by District Attorney Elizabeth Egan. Former Fresno State coach Dennis DeLiddo said the butt drag is a common move used by wrestlers all the time. “I’ve never heard this move used as being ugly or dirty.” District Attorney Egan declined to comment. But Michael Idiart, a former assistant Fresno County district attorney, said he would not have filed criminal charges because wrestlers know that once they get on the mat, they are consenting to pain — and sometimes embarrassment. “If this is a legitimate and recognized wrestling move, the DA has no case,” he said.
